Features
The saga of being Ewe…(Part 2)
That I was born Ewe, as others were born Asante, Akuapem, Fante, Ga-Dangbe, Nzema, Dagomba, Gonja etc etc, is no accident. It is a divine work of the Creator of the universe for the universality of humankind.
No one, therefore, is born with a divine right to be superior to another, irrespective of their race, colour or creed. If it were so, there is a question this Creator will have to answer: what kind of God or Father He is to pit one child against the other? If God Himself is divisive, then He does not deserve our attention. The epoch of racial gods has atrophied into the universal Godhood.
No one is brought into this world to be a bigot. A lack of education and enlightenment has bred insecurity in some people who vent their inadequacies on others. That way, they feel a certain relevance. They become notoriously belligerent and hate others who endeavour to be at peace with themselves and with others.
It is, therefore, preposterous for one group of people to look down on another. It was to forster national cohesion that Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah came up with the idea of boarding secondary schools so that boys and girls from different parts of the country could live and study under the same roof. It worked well in our time, but I must admit that it is not the same today.
One day in 2004 my youngest daughter, who was in one of the all-girls schools in the capital, came home with a classmate, who was Ga, on mid-term holidays. Out of the blue, my daughter asked me why other tribes hated the Ewe so much. The question gave me a giddy feeling instantly. What answer was I to give my 17-year old? But I needed to know what precipitated such a question.
In their boarding house, some of the students said their parents had warned them that when they grew up, they should not marry Ewe. What reasons did their parents give them, I asked. None whatsoever. All I could tell her was that she should ignore such unproductive chatter from ignorant parents. But I knew it was a serious issue.
What was I to do? Then the opportunity came when the school called an emergency Parent/Teacher Association meeting to solicit funds for a quick-fix of a problem. Parents came to the meeting in their numbers and the Assembly Hall was full. We donated cash as much as we could and the executives got busy with tallying the amount raised.
I sought permission from the Chairman to make a statement, which was granted. To get the attention of the Assembly, my first statement was, “Some of us need to be ashamed of being parents.” I got the attention I needed because it sent a signal that I was up to something serious. I went on, “I wish I were non-Ewe to make what I’m about to say meaningful.”
I then went straight to the point, telling them what question my daughter put to me, and in the company of a mate who was not Ewe. You could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium.. “Why poison the minds of your teenage girls with tribal bigotry, while President Kufuor is busy preaching national cohesion and unity? What kind of parents are we?”
I then asked a rhetorical question, “Assuming these poisoned daughters we breed here get involved in a vehicular accident and the first person to appear on the scene is Ewe, do you and I expect these daughters to accept help or decline because the helper is Ewe?” There was complete silence.
I went on to say that teenage minds are too fragile for such toxic brainwash. They must be allowed to grow up and make their own informed choices.”What future is there for this country with this kind of mindset if these girls grow up to take leadership positions?” I asked.
I could make out the late Minister Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, the late Cyril Acolatse of GBC and ace broadcaster, George Crabbe in the audience because I knew them personally.
After giving the parents a piece of my mind, the applause was deafening though I did not do it for the applause; I did it for Mother Ghana.
After we were done, Cyril and George were first to congratulate me on the courage to confront the issue in the manner I did. A parent who said he was Asante but hated such bigotry also came to tell me his daughters came home with same tales. He was happy I brought it up.
My daughter hooked her arm to mine like in a wedding march to see me off. The gaze on us was palpable and my pride in my daughter was on Cloud 9. But it did not end there. On her visit home the following term’s midterm, she told me that the students who revealed their parents’ attitudes were back to report that their parents berated them for discussing those things in the boarding house.
Dear reader, my true narrative above mirrors what is festering in our country at this moment. Speak Ewe in public and others are quick to tell you that no one understands ‘that’ language. Not only in public but at the workplace, on buses, airplanes and at almost every conceivable place.
I will stand up to anyone who tries to look down on another because of their ethnicity. Why would a Ga look down on an Asante, an Ewe on a Fante or a Bono on a Grushie, the tribe of my maternal great-grandmother? This must not be allowed. At times I am minded to ask if it’s the other people we hate or their language or both? Personally, I am not enamoured of the Brits and the French, but I love and speak both their languages.
I love Ghana to bits. It is the only country I call my own and take pride in calling myself Ghanaian. Let no one tell me differently. And I believe all of us must feel the same way. We are said to be the most welcoming country our side of earth, yet that hardly manifests in the way we relate among ourselves. What ashame!
I must be as proud as an Ewe as you must be as an Akan, Ga-Dangbe, Nzema, Dagomba, Kusasi, Wala. But collectively, let us all join hands in being proud Ghanaians. My friends are surprised I do not support any football club in Ghana but can stay awake to watch matches involving all our national teams in international tournaments. Nothing freaks me more than watching our female teams at play.
Lest I forget: I couldn’t be more proud when my youngest daughter called me one day and said, “Dad, a full-blooded Asante guy wants me for a wife.” I responded that if she wanted him, she had my blessing. They are a happy couple over 10 years on.
Some Akan female friends tell me to recommend young Ewe men for their daughters, and their reason is simple: since Akan inherit maternally and Ewe are patrilineal, their offspring would inherit both ways. If this can breed national unity and cohesion, why not?
Writer’s email address:
akofa45@yahoo.com
By Dr Akofa K. Segbefia
Features
The global challenge of medical malpractice
Introduction
Medical malpractice is a significant concern worldwide, with far-reaching consequences for patients, healthcare providers, and the overall healthcare system.
It is defined as a deviation from the standard of care that results in patient harm, and can take many forms, including misdiagnosis, surgical errors, medication mistakes, and inadequate patient care.
This article provides a comprehensive overview of the issues surrounding medical malpractice, its consequences, and potential solutions.
The prevalence of
medical malpractice.
Medical malpractice is a widespread problem that affects patients in many countries. According to a study published in the Journal of Patient Safety, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, resulting in an estimated 251,000 deaths per year. Similarly, a study published in the British Medical Journal found that medical errors are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the UK.
Types of medical
malpractice
Medical malpractice can take many forms, including:
1. Misdiagnosis: Failure to accurately diagnose a patient’s condition, leading to delayed or inappropriate treatment.
2. Surgical errors: Mistakes made during surgery, such as operating on the wrong body part or leaving instruments inside a patient.
3. Medication errors: Prescribing or administering the wrong medication, dose, or route of administration.
4. Inadequate patient care: Failure to provide adequate care, including neglecting to monitor patients, provide necessary treatment, or respond to patient concerns.
Consequences of medical malpractice:
Medical malpractice can have severe consequences for patients, including:
1. Physical harm: Patients may experience pain, suffering, and long-term health consequences.
2. Emotional trauma: Patients and their families may experience anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
3. Financial burden: Patients may incur significant medical expenses, lost wages, and other costs.
Solutions to medical malpractice:
To address the issue of medical malpractice, many countries have implemented reforms aimed at reducing the number of claims and improving patient safety. Some potential solutions include:
1. Tort reform: Limiting the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice cases.
2. Alternative dispute resolution: Using mediation or arbitration to resolve disputes outside of court.
3. Communication and Resolution Programs (CRPs): Encouraging open communication between healthcare providers and patients, and providing fair compensation for injuries.
Conclusion
Medical malpractice is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach to address.
By understanding the prevalence, types, and consequences of medical malpractice, we can work towards creating a safer and more compassionate healthcare system.
Potential solutions, such as tort reform, alternative dispute resolution, and CRPs, offer promising approaches to reducing medical malpractice claims and improving patient safety.
References:
[1] Makary, M. A., & Daniel, M. (2016). Medical error—the third leading cause of death in the US. BMJ, 353, i2139.
[2] Vincent, C., Neale, G., & Woloshynowych, M. (2001). Adverse events in British hospitals: preliminary retrospective record review. BMJ, 322(7285), 517-519.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
Features
Life is like a quiz competition
I watched a quiz show on TV last Sunday, between two schools, Okuapeman and I think University Practice. After the first round, University Practice was leading with about 30 points and Okuapeman had nothing.
Then comes the second round of the intended four rounds of competition and at the end of the round, surprise, surprise, Okuapeman had 60 points and University Practice had either zero or 10.
In the final analysis, Okuapeman won the competition with 95 points to University Practice’s 90 or 93 points. Such is life and the mysteries of life, are difficult to fathom.
There are classmates that we thought could not amount to much in life and yet we become pleasantly surprised as time passed, about the vast improvement in their lives.
There were other mates who were obviously destined for the top, based on their academic prowess but became complete failures later on in life.
When I was in the primary school, there was a classmate who most of the time came first in the end of term exams. He was very brilliant and so he going further up the academic ladder through Secondary school, Sixth form and ending up at the University was a forgone conclusion.
However, life’s mystery set in and he ended up as a teacher in a technical school owned by his brother-in-law. He did not amount to much, became an alcoholic and eventually passed away.
The day I heard that he had passed away and his general circumstances, I felt so sad. Such is life and sometimes it is like the quiz competition I witnessed, full of uncertainties.
There was another senior in Middle School, who also was very brilliant. In fact he got a score of 254 out of 300 in the Common Entrance Examination. Many years later, in my early years at the University, I met this guy at the Tarkwa Train Station and got the shock of my life. This guy was wearing a dirty, loosely fitting singlet and his state was pitiful.
Naturally after expressing pleasantries, I asked him what he was doing in Tarkwa after telling him that I was a student at the university. He then narrated how he was dismissed from the most prestigious Secondary School in the Kwahu area after some smoking and going out without exeat issue.
He further indicated that as a result, he was then hustling and doing Galamsey to make ends meet. I would have had a hard time believing that he was doing Galamsey and not working in a reputable organisation or institution if it was told me by someone. Indeed life can sometimes be like a quiz competition, if God is not involved.
Since we are not God and therefore do not have knowledge of what the future holds, we need to treat people who come across our paths well because you never know.
When I went for the funeral of one of my aunties, on my father side, with my SUV many years ago, a lot of my relatives were surprised because they never imagined that.
When it comes to say wealth, it has nothing to do with one’s academic qualifications. We have some of the wealthiest people who were school dropouts and so we need to be careful how we treat people, because life is like a quiz competition and you never know until the competition comes to an end.
I have seen someone who was not that nice looking, the nose being flat and all, and then 12 years later, such a huge natural transformation; so never write anybody off, because life is like a quiz competition. God bless.
NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT’
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
